Save Article

Week in Ideas: Christopher Shea

Showing people data makes them more accepting of facts that may challenge their deeply held political views, a study shows, as does boosting their self-esteem.

In one experiment, using a fall 2008 survey, researchers queried 1,000 people about the Iraq war and the effects of the U.S. troop surge. The results were most clear-cut for the 467 who believed the U.S. should withdraw.